Strip packaging system

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to strip-packaging systems ( 10 ) having first ( 16 ) and second ( 17 ) parts, which comprise respectively a bottom and four substantially rectangular arranged side-walls projecting there from, which in this way define an open cylinder. The two parts ( 16, 17 ) are connected to one another at their open ends ( 16′, 17 ′) via a separation element ( 14 ), wherein the separation element is manually releasable, in order that the two parts may be separated from one another. Therein, at least at the second part, markings ( 19 ) are arranged, which show at which point of the first part securing means ( 13 ) have to be arranged, by means of which the first part may be secured in an upright manner, in order that the part is made usable after separation from the second part for the provision of the strips.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a strip packaging system for transporting and presenting of strips, as for example flooring strips.

2. BACKGROUND

From the prior art it is known to package strips as for example flooring strips, ceiling strips or wall strips in carton packages. The term “strips” herein is understood as an elongated, shaped, for example profiled component, as for example baseboards, stair nose profiles, cable channel profiles or profile strips for covering joints, transition profiles for the determination of floorings or for covering gaps between wall, ceiling or flooring panels and others. Such strips are usually made of wood materials or plastics, wherein wood material is understood in the broad sense as any material on wood basis, i.e. for example solid wood or chip board and MDF- or HDF-materials. Depending on the application also strips of metal are used, in particular of aluminium. For the transport, the storage and the sale of such strips the latter have to be packed in a suitable way. Usually a number of strips is bundled and subsequently packed into a carton, which is rigidly closed on all sides, for example by means of a bonding. The end user of the strips has to cut such packages open, with a sharp object, wherein the strips to be transported may be damaged. In addition, the carton package cannot be used any more for further applications after cutting open. Due to the high total weight of the strip bundle of several kilograms and the great length, of regularly significantly more than one meter, often two meters and more, it was customary, that these strip packages had to be bonded completely, in order to ensure the safe transport of the strips. In particular the opinion existed, that the packages must not comprise any weak points, as for example a bottom which might be opened easily by hand or others, since otherwise the required solidity of the packaging could not be realized. Further, there is the desire, to present the transported strips in a sales- or showroom, so that an interested costumer may see and closely examine the strips. In conventional strip packaging, the strips thus had to be taken out of the packaging and had to be offered to a potential costumer separately in a suitable manner, for example by placing them openly in a shelf or something similar. This is, however, connected with additional working steps and there is additionally the danger of damaging the strips when taking them out of the packaging. This is particularly problematic in home improvement retailers, since the latter are under a high competitive pressure and therefore aim at keeping the personal costs as low as possible. Moreover, the provision of strips in extra shelves or something similar is connected with a high required space. Besides, it is possible with conventional strip packaging, to provide these strips at the construction site where they are required in a safe and practical way.

Departing from the known prior art there is the object to provide an improved strip packaging system, which eliminates respectively reduces the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art. In particular, there is the object to provide a packaging system which enables a particularly simple removal of the strips packed therein and which is particularly suited for the presentation of the strips in a sales- or showroom or for the provision of the strips at a construction site.

These and other objects which will be mentioned in the following description or may be recognized by the person skilled in the art are solved by a strip packaging system according to claim 1.

3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The inventive strip packaging system is for example suited for packing, flooring, ceiling or wall strips, as for example strips for covering of the joints between two flooring panels or something similar. The packaging system at least includes first and second substantially cylindrical parts, which respectively comprise a bottom and four sidewalls projecting there from being substantially rectangular arranged to one another, which define an open cylinder. The dimensions thereby are preferably chosen in such a way that each part may partly receive multiple strips. The two parts comprise open ends at the opposite side to the respective bottom, wherein the open ends are connected via a separation element, wherein the separation element may be released preferably by hand, i.e. without the help of tools, in order to separate the two parts from one another. By means of the inventive assembly of both parts with respectively a bottom and four side walls the structural inherent stability of the parts is so high, that the weak point caused by the separation element does not reduce the overall stability of the strip packaging substantially. In order to improve the overall stability, despite of the separation element it is advantageous, if both parts substantially comprise the same size and shape and thus comprise approximately the same inherent stability.

In a preferred embodiment at least at the first part, markings are arranged at the outside, which show at which point of the first part fixing means have to be mounted in a suitable manner, by means of which the first part may subsequently be secured in an upright manner, in order to make the part usable after separation from the second part for the provision and presentation of the strips. This particularly preferred secondary use of the inventive strip packaging is enabled by the high inherent stability of the first and second parts, the construction of which is preferably self-supporting through respectively a bottom and four side walls and comprises a sufficient inherent stability, in order to at least hold and protect the strips arranged therein. Thereby it is possible to store the strips for example at a construction site in a safe and protective manner and although make them easily accessible for the user, as for example a craftsman.

The part comprising the markings is mounted at a suitable object, as for example a shelf or a post, when standing on its bottom, preferably by tying it to this object. The required space for presentation and provision of the strips is thus preferably very small. In a particularly preferred embodiment the bottom area of the packaging is formed water-proof, for example by a suitable coating or coat of lacquer, or also by a water-repellent foil, which is bonded to the bottom and preferably to the side walls close to the bottom. The term bottom area is herein understood as at least the bottom itself, preferably, however, the bottom and the side walls which are adjacent to the bottom, up to a height of for example several centimetres. By means of the water-proof bottom the upright strips are protected from soil moisture.

The securing means is/are preferably comprised of a conventional cable tie, i.e. a cable band having an engagement means and a head with an opening in order to insert the band. The packaging preferably comprises drawings, which explain the obligation of the packaging, i.e. which illustrate the correct opening of the packaging, as well as the securing of the part with the markings on a suitable object by means of, for example, the above mentioned cable ties. The cable ties are particularly preferred contained in the packaging. The separation element is preferably a perforated tear-open suture or a tear-open string. By pulling the suture or the string the first and second parts may be separated from one another. The packaging is comprised substantially or fully of cardboard or carton in a suitable strength.

Since the packaging system according to the present invention is comprised of substantially two parts, which may be separated from one another easily and clearly, and which in addition comprise a sufficient inherent stability due to the preferably self-supporting shape, one part of the two parts may be used advantageously after separation as a presentation container in a sells- or showroom or for a secure storing and provision at a construction site. Therein, the part may be advantageously arranged directly at or close to the panels due to the small required space, for which the packed strips are for example provided.

The strip-packaging system is particularly useful for packaging of longer strips of at least 1 meter or even at least 1.5 meters and more. The inherent stability of the parts is chosen in such a way, that the strips may be packed with a total weight of more than 10 kg, preferably more than 15 kg and particularly preferred more than 20 kg in a safe manner. The part of the packaging in which the strips are provided, is preferably at least one meter long.

4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following a detailed description of the figures is provided.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of three strip-packagings, which additionally are shrink-wrapped by means of a plastic foil.

FIG. 2 shows schematically, how two parts of a packaging are separated from one another by tearing one separation element.

FIG. 3 shows schematically, how the packaging is opened and one part is removed.

FIG. 4 shows schematically, how a part of the packaging is secured to an object.

FIG. 5 shows schematically, three packages according to the invention which are secured to an object.

In FIG. 1 schematically three strip-packaging systems 10, 20 and 30 of different sizes are illustrated, which additionally are surrounded by a transparent plastic foil in the figure. The packaging systems are elongated and comprise a rectangular cross-section, according to the dimensions of the strips packed therein. In the enlargement of FIG. 1 the securing means 13 are indicated in form of cable-ties, which are arranged at the outside of the packaging 10. Further shown in FIG. 1 by the dashed lines which herein indicate a perforation is a separation element 14, by means of which the packaging systems may be opened. With reference number 15 drawings respectively illustrations are designated, by means of which the application of the packaging is explained, i.e. for example the opening procedure with the separation elements 14 and others.

In FIG. 2 it is shown in detail, how the separation element 14 may be torn by hand, in order to thereby separate the first and second parts 16 and 17 of the packaging system 10 from one another. The two parts are self-supporting due to their structure with a bottom and four side-walls and comprise a high inherent stability. Preferably the parts are made of a suitable folded and bonded carton or cardboard. At the lower part 17 markings 19 are provided, which indicate, at which point of the part 17 the securing means 13 have to be arranged, in order to secure the part 17 in upright position. The separation element 14 comprises a stripe of the same material of which the packaging system is manufactured and is preferably integral with the first and second part 16 and 17. For example at first the packaging system 10 may be manufactured uniformly with the parts 16 and 17, for example of cardboard or carton in a suitable strength, and subsequently perforations may be provided at a circumference of the cylindrical packaging system, which then define the stripes, as it is evident for the persons skilled in the art off hand when taking a look at FIG. 2.

In FIG. 3 the separation element 14 respectively the stripe is fully torn and thus parts 16 and 17 may be separated from one another. From FIG. 3 also the basic shape of the single parts 16 and 17 is well visible, which respectively comprise a bottom and four substantially rectangular arranged side-walls projecting there from. Together, these walls form an open cylinder with preferably self-supporting structure as it is further visible from the figure, the separation element 14 has originally been arranged between the two open ends 16′ and 17′ of the two parts. With reference number 18, the packed strips are designated, which may, for example, be flooring strips as for example wall-termination strips or strips for bridging a joint between two laminate panels or something similar.

In FIG. 4 it is schematically shown, how the two lower parts of the packaging systems 10 and 20 of FIG. 1 are fixed in upright position at their bottom by means of a securing means 13 at an object 40. This is enabled by the high inherent stability of the part which is sufficient to hold the heavy strips securely and without breaking down. The object 40 in the present case is a shelf, wherein of course also other objects are conceivable. The strips 18 are freely visible in the illustrated position respectively may be removed from the parts in an easy manner. The securing means 13 are thereby arranged according to marking 19.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic view similar to FIG. 4, where three parts of three packaging systems are respectively mounted with securing means 13 at the bars of a shelf. As can be derived from a comparison of FIGS. 5 and 1, the securing means 13 are arranged at the level of the markings 19. In this manner a secure fixing of the parts at the shelf bars is possible and at the same time it is guaranteed that the drawings arranged at the packaging are not hidden by the securing means 13, which would be otherwise often the case in practise without the markings. The size of the part with the markings is thereby chosen in such a way that if the part with the marking is arranged in an upright manner on its bottom, the strips 18 contained therein are securely held alone by this part although the other part has been removed. In other words, the height of the marked part is sufficient compared to the height of the strips 18 standing therein, so that the latter may not tilt out of the part offhand.

In FIG. 5 the application of the marked parts of the strip-packaging system for presenting the strips contained therein in a sales- or showroom is shown. If one takes a look at FIG. 1, one will notice that the first and second parts of the packaging systems 10, 20 and 30 are comprised substantially in the same size and shape and thus comprise approximately the same inherent stability. The number of packaging systems in the figures is of course purely exemplary. 

1. Strip packaging system (10) including at least first (16) and second (17) substantially cylindrical parts, which respectively comprise a bottom and four substantially rectangularly arranged side-walls projecting there from, which define an open cylinder; wherein the two parts (16, 17) are connected to one another at their open ends (16′, 17′), via a separation element (14) wherein the separation element is manually releasable, in order to separate the two parts from one another; wherein at least at the first part markings (19) are arranged, which indicate, at which point of the first part securing means (13) have to be mounted, by means of which the first part may be secured in an upright manner, in order to make the part useable, after separation of the second part, for providing the strips.
 2. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least at one of the parts drawings (15) are arranged, which explain the application of the packaging.
 3. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the separation element (14) is a perforated tear-open suture or a tear-open string.
 4. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the separation element (14) is a stripe of the same material of which the strip packaging system (10) is manufactured and wherein the stripe is arranged between the open ends (16′, 17′) of the two cylindrical parts (16, 17) and is connected with each of the two parts by means of a perforated suture, so that the stripe may be removed manually from the two parts, in order to separate the latter form one another.
 5. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that, the parts comprise a self-supporting structure and wherein at least one of the parts comprises a sufficient inherent stability, in order to hold alone the packed strips without breakdown if it is arranged in such a way that it stands on its bottom.
 6. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the packaging (10) is substantially made of carton.
 7. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the securing means (13) are cable-ties.
 8. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first and second parts comprises substantially the same size and shape.
 9. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the size of the parts with the markings (19) is chosen in such a way that the strips (18) therein are held securely by this part alone, when the other part is removed and the part with the markings is arranged standing on its bottom in an upright manner.
 10. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the bottom area of the packaging is water-proof.
 11. Strip-packaging system according to claim 1, characterized in that the strips (18) are flooring-strips.
 12. Use of the marked part of a strip-packaging system (10) according claim 1 for presenting the strips contained therein in a sales- or showroom, after the other part has been removed. 